John Mayer, an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and watch enthusiast, played a crucial role in the popularity of certain Rolex models. His passion for watches, especially the Rolex brand has influenced many fans and collectors. The yellow gold Rolex Daytona with a green sunburst dial, reference 116508, is nicknamed the “John Mayer Daytona” because of its association with the musician.
The reference 116508 was released in 2016, and at the time, the watch was sitting at retail with little interest from collectors. These watches sat untouched in retailers, but Mayer bought one anyway and famously showcased it during a 2019 episode of Hodinkee’s Talking Watches. He saw the watch as a future version of something that was undesirable in the moment but would become desirable later on. After his endorsement, prices skyrocketed. The watch now trades well above $70,000, with examples selling for over $100,000 on the secondary market. It had a long production run before being discontinued in 2023.
The green dial paired with the yellow gold case has since become one of the most hyped modern Daytonas, largely because of Mayer’s influence. Earlier this year at Watches and Wonders, Rolex returned with a yellow gold, green dial Daytona reference 126508. While similar in appearance, there are some subtle changes. The biggest visual difference is on the dial. The original reference 116508 featured a green dial with green subdials and red accents, while the new 126508 has yellow gold subdials. The most important update is inside the watch with the caliber 4131 movement that has been powering Rolex’s Daytona collection since 2023.
The original John Mayer Daytona, reference 116508, retailed at $38,700 before being discontinued. On the secondary market, prices are currently around $65,000 to $70,000 for a full set example, which is about double the retail price. The new “John Mayer 2.0” will retail for $48,400, which is nearly a $10,000 increase. That jump reflects rising tariffs and the cost of gold, which has increased by about 62% since 2023.
